t another glance changed that
intention, if intention it had been.

His face fell, and he walked past with averted eyes, apparently
recognising neither boy, and paying no heed to Wyndham's feebly
attempted salute.

Before he was out of hearing Silk broke into a loud laugh. "Upon my
word, it's as good as a play!" cried he. "You did it splendidly, young
'un! Looked as guilty as a dog, every bit! He'll give you up for lost
now, with a vengeance!"

Wyndham's misery would have moved the pity of any one but Silk. The new
hopes which had risen within him had been cruelly dashed by this unhappy
accident, and he felt no further care as to what happened to him.
Riddell would have lost all faith in him now; he would appear little
better than an ungrateful hypocrite and impostor. The last motive for
sparing him would be swept away, and--so the boy thought--the duty of
reporting him would now become a satisfaction.

He tore himself from the seat, and exclaimed, "Let me go, you brute!"

Silk looked at him in astonishment; then, relapsing into a smile, said,
"Oh, indeed! a brute, am I?"

"Yes, you are!"

"And, let's see; I forget what the little favour was you wanted the
brute to do for you?"

"I want you to do _no_ favour!" cried Wyndham, passionately.

"No? Not even to allow you to go to the doctor and tell him about
Beamish's?"

"No; not even that! I wouldn't do it now. He may now find out what he
likes."

"It might interest him if I went and told him a few things about you?"
said Silk.

"Go! as soon as you like--and tell him anything you like," cried
Wyndham. "I don't care."

"You wouldn't even care to have back your three pound ten?"

"No," said the boy, "not even if you ever thought of paying it back."

Silk all this time had been growing furious. The last thing he had
expected was that this boy, whom he supposed to be utterly in his power,
should thus rise in revolt and shake off every shred of his old
allegiance. But he found he had gone too far for once, and this last
defiant taunt of his late victim cut him to the quick.

He sprang from the seat and made a wild dash at the boy, but Wyndham was
too quick for him, and escaped, leaving his adversary baffled as he had
never been before, and almost doubting whether he had not been and still
was dreaming.

Wyndham ran as fast as he could in the direction of the school, and
would have probably gone _on_ running till he reached his own study, had